What Do You With a Tail Like This?

Jenkins, Steve
Page, Robin
Houghton Mifflin Company 2003
Picture Book
K-3
"What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?" tells the reader about thirty different animals. The book details how these animals use their Noses, Ears, Tails, eyes, feet, and mouths to survive in the wild. I learned several new facts about animals from this book. I did not know that Lizard's tails can easily break off to escape harm. I also did not know that horned lizards can squirt blood out of their eyes to scare away unwanted guests, or that hippopotamus' can close their ears while under water.

I was surprised by how much I learned from this book. I can only imagine how much a child would learn about animals from this book. I also think that children would enjoy this book. I can see young children cringe when the lizard's tail breaks off, and I can hear the ewe's when the horned lizard squirts blood out it's eyes. Children will most definitely enjoy the amazing illustrations. I wonder if they could guess that they were made from cut paper collages? I was absolutely enthralled the collages. I have never seen such intricately detailed collages. the double page illustrations make the book. This informational book is a great way to introduce exotic animals in class. Each student could choose an animal from the book and write about the animal in their own words.This book is defiantly deserving of the Caldecott medal. The book simply would not be as entertaining and informative without them. the collages are amazingly detailed and really help the reader visualize the animals. You have to see a horned lizard squirt blood out of its eye's to believe it! I liked how the text about each animal was located right next to that animals picture. this makes the story much easier to follow. I especially liked how the text about the skunk comes out of the skunks tail like spray. I will most defiantly read this book to my class if a am teaching at this level.